Aperture 3 vs Lightroom 3(beta)

You couldn’t have gotten too far into your day without hearing the announcement that Apple released Aperture 3 for photographers. I received a number of messages today, some asking if I heard the news, and many others asking “Should I get Aperture 3 now, or Lightroom 3 later?” My immediate reply to the Aperture vs Lightroom debate has been, “I don’t use Aperture, therefore no comment.” However, since people seem eager for my opinion (you know who you are) let me give you my initial thoughts on how the latest Apple release stands up:

Aperture 3 touts over 200 new features. I can say that photographers who already enjoy this product will find it a worthwhile upgrade. Looking through the list I saw many UI enhancements, but I also noticed many features already available in Lightroom 2, or set for release in Lightroom 3. But what about those new features?

== Aperture 3 New Features ==

Aperture Brushes vs Lightroom Adjustment Brush
Aperture 3 finally adds some targeted adjustments via the Brushes tool. Lightroom users have been enjoying this capability for over a year, and at first glance the differences appear only in the execution of how to apply adjustments. Both products offer an overlay mode to see where adjustments are painted. Both products offer a form of edge detection/masking to allow for clean lines when you paint. Aperture’s Brushes have a setting to either “brush in” or “brush away” an adjustment. Based on my initial assessment there may be additional tweaks you can apply using Aperture Brushes vs Lightroom’s Adjustment Brush.

Sharpening
The Aperture demo includes a quick video on Edge Sharpening using the Brushes tool. As a comment, sharpening in Lightroom via the Details panel or the Adjustment Brush appears to allow more control. Both programs allow you to brush in sharpness, but Lightroom’s Detail panel can quickly setup an edge mask without brushing.

Presets
Both products come ready with adjustment presets. Lightroom may have a slight edge for being out longer with more presets in the wild. Of course, Chase Jarvis thinks highly of the presets in Aperture 3.

Faces & Places
I have to admit Faces has a hip factor given you can find/sort photos visually using face recognition technology. Everyone I talked to is amazed by the possibilities, but I don’t know any pros taking advantage of it for tracking images. However, a big plus to this feature is the ability to tag friends on Facebook AND have new Facebook tags sync back to your Aperture library.

Places is pretty cool as well. Geotagging images has become more common, and Aperture has a variety of enhancements that utilize GPS image data for tagging, sorting & organizing. Lightroom can access GPS data, but my initial thought is Aperture makes it easier to use.

Full Screen Mode
Aperture 3 has a new UI mode that allows for full screen images with image controls available via HUD (Heads Up Display). Anyone stuck with one monitor that loves using LOTS of screen real estate will enjoy this feature. Lightroom has the ability to hide panels, but they do not float as in other Adobe products.

Slideshow
OK. I have to say this is the single feature that definitely beats Lightroom 2 & 3. Simply put, more options for slideshow creation including the ability to add video within the slideshow. Lightroom users have to wait until version 3 is released to get music back into their slideshows, Aperture does music and much more.

== Overall Evaluation ==

As I mentioned above, if you’re already an Aperture user this is a must upgrade. The question for photographer’s on the fence is “Which product do I buy?” Lightroom 2 was a leap ahead of Aperture 2 by adding targeted adjustments among other improvements. Aperture 3 closes that gap. My initial thought is the products are evenly matched at this point. I still prefer how Lightroom handles image/database management (a subjective opinion yes), and Aperture’s new Faces & Places technology or even its Slideshows might sway public opinion.

Bottom line is you should try out both products and see which one best fits your needs. For every argument I give you that Lightroom is the best choice, an Aperture enthusiast will counter with some cool feature they like.

In the end, remember it’s not the tool you choose, but how you choose to use those tools.

Look for a more detailed breakdown of feature comparisons as I get Aperture 3 loaded on my studio workstation in the upcoming week.

UPDATE 02/17/2010 – As noted over at Ars Technica some users are experiencing hard disk issues with Aperture 3.

UPDATE 02/21/2010 – Gene McCullagh grabbed Aperture 3 before me and provides his expert insight to the product. Also, Sean McCormack & Matt Kloskowski weigh-in on the debate.

Updates for Camera RAW 5.6 & Lightroom 2.6

Adobe released updates for both Camera RAW 5.6 & Lightroom 2.6 yesterday. Lightroom users, you did install the Camera RAW update right? The following link to the camera raw support page provides the appropriate download links for both Mac & PC computers. Here are some additional tips when updating your software:

Camera RAW 5.6 – This update applies if you run Photoshop CS4, or Photoshop Elements 7 or 8. You’ll want to install this update if you also use Lightroom to ensure file compatibility.

Lightroom 2.6 – This update simply installs on top of your current version of Lightroom. There is no need to use your installation CDs UNLESS you’re upgrading from version 1 (but then where have you been?)

The latest camera support has been added to these updates, and a full list is available on the camera raw support page.

Known Issues According to the Read Me file:

• Burning exported images to disc is not available for the Lightroom 64-bit Windows application.
• Upgrading a Lightroom 1 catalog during a catalog import can create multiple temporary copies of the catalog while upgrading.
• Lightroom performance can be impacted when the Window’s Recycle Bin contains thousands of files.
• Lightroom may not automatically launch an import dialog when a memory card is attached to a Windows Vista computer. Please select the Import button in the Library and select the attached card reader to begin the import.
• Lightroom 2.6 will not automatically migrate plug-ins located in the following directory: C:\Program
• Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2\Modules\. Any plug-ins in this folder should be moved to: XP: C:/Documents and Settings/{your_username}/Application Data/Adobe/Lightroom/Modules/ | Vista: C:/Users/{your_username}/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Lightroom/Modules/

The Lightroom 2.6 update fixes known issues with Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) including visual artifacts in the Develop module, edit errors when handing files off to Photoshop, and the dreaded PowerPC problem that affected folks using LR 2.5.

Adobe Releases Lightroom 3 Public Beta

If you haven’t heard by now then you must be sleeping… Adobe released the public beta for Lightroom 3. While this is one AWESOME moment for photographers and photo enthusiasts everywhere, let me repeat the mantra used by many of my colleagues today:

This is BETA software!

This is BETA software!

This is BETA software!

While I’m all for being on the cutting edge of technology, I’m not looking to get knicked anytime soon either. If you want to be the envy of all your buddies at least take a few precautions before firing up LR3. Use copies of images for the LR3 catalog. Keep in mind any changes may not work with the final release. Be prepared for wonky behavior on your computer while using BETA software.

Lightroom 3 is going to be a great release, Adobe having improved areas at customer request, e.g., noise reduction, file importing, printing, and added new features such as the Publish Services & Watermarking for improved workflows. You can check out Gene McCullagh’s blog for a quick summary of features or watch some videos over at NAPP (Nation Association of Photoshop Professionals)’s Lightroom 3 Learning Center.

Photoshop Questions? Just Ask A.J.

It’s a quick hit Thursday. I’d say I was recovering from my Photoshop World experience (which was AWESOME), but we both know I’ve been knee deep in work since coming back from Vegas. Plenty of things on my plate, but had to take a moment to announce some cool stuff:

1. Ask A.J. (brought to you by Tip Squirrel) – This new column launched this week. Head over to the Tip Squirrel blog and ask me those nagging Photoshop questions, you know, the ones that keep you stirring about in your chair, scraping your nails against your Wacom tablet. I’ll be answering as many questions as I can each week, and if you behave, I might even thrown in some video responses.

2. Lightroom Core Series – due to the popularity of this seminar, I’m repeating the classes this month. Part 1 – Get Organized kicks off next week on Oct 14th, followed by the Part 2 – Develop It on Oct 21st, and we’ll wrap up with Part 3 – Output/Export on Oct 28th. Advanced registration is $25, or $40 at the door.

Finally had a chance to work on a few photos from my Photoshop World trip. Might post some HDR stuff later, but you’ll enjoy the hazing I took during the Photoshop Challenge EXTREME. Alright, that’s it for now, back to work people.

DFW Events – Week of Sept 14th

Good afternoon all. Here’s the list of events happening in Dallas/Ft. Worth this week including part 2 of my Lightroom Core Series. Speaking of Lightroom, have you downloaded the 2.5 update yet? Be sure to update Adobe Camera RAW to 5.5 as well. Use the update options in Photoshop & Lightroom or download directly from the Adobe website.

Richardson Entrepreneurs – Tuesday, September 15th at 7pm: get together and network with like minded folks.

Digital Photography Club – Wednesday, September 16th at 7pm: Lightroom Core Series – Part 2, Develop Module – I’ll be delivering a 2hr seminar on how to use Lightroom’s Develop module. Part 1 was a big hit, and I’ll be repeating the series in October & November. Cost $25 adv, $40 door

Texas Glamour Club – Thursday, September 17th at 6pm: The lovely & talented Betzu is at the studio for a private club shoot. Cost $199

DDPMG (Dallas Digital Photography Meetup Group) – Saturday, September 19th at 6am: Join the club for the Plano Balloon Festival. Great photo opportunity if you’ve never been.

DFWAUG (Dallas/Ft. Worth Adobe Users Group) – Saturday, September 19th at 11am: Adobe AIR with Scott Filloon. Learn what the buzz is all about, and why this is a hot development platform right now.

NTPC (North Texas Photo Club) – Saturday, September 19th at 8:30am: photo outing at the Classic Car Show.

That’s the wrap for this week folks. Feel free to contact me if you have future events planned, or if you would like me to add your usergroup to my community page.

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